| Foot doctors are quite rare, as compared to heart | | | | Our feet have their own surgeons, too, who are |
| doctors, skin doctors, brain doctors, or even breast | | | | podiatrists that have acquired certification from the |
| enhancement doctors. Formally referred to as | | | | American Board of Podiatric Surgery. After diagnosis |
| podiatrists, they are medical experts who | | | | of a severe foot disorder or injury, they can operate |
| concentrate on providing health care to your feet, | | | | on the specific area of the feet or lower legs that |
| ankles, and lower legs. A podiatrist is required to take | | | | have been afflicted. |
| state and national exams, as well as be licensed by | | | | Podiatrists are not often seen in most hospitals. |
| the state in which he/she practices. If you want to | | | | Orthopedic surgeons are the most common specialist |
| find a podiatrist to take care of your foot problems, | | | | who handle similar cases. Most foot doctors practice |
| a podiatrist directory is accessible on the internet. | | | | privately, managing their own foot clinics or working |
| The feet are given the task of bearing a bigger | | | | on a bigger clinic that offers foot medical care. Some |
| percentage of our weight. Therefore, in these | | | | podiatrists have other specializations like sports |
| modern times that most people are overweight, | | | | medicine, radiology, or orthopedic surgery. Some can |
| more feet have been suffering. Corns, calluses, | | | | also be seen in nursing homes or first-aid centers. |
| infected toenails, and athlete's foot are the most | | | | To become a podiatrist, one most get a 4-year |
| typical feet disorders among others. Diabetes and | | | | bachelors degree, then go through four years of |
| arthritis are more serious diseases that can also lead | | | | Podiatric Medical School, where they are awarded a |
| to a visit to the podiatrist. Fractures, sprains, and | | | | Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree (DPM). They |
| other lower extremity trauma are dealt to by foot | | | | then go through two to three years of a |
| doctors. | | | | hospital-based residency program, which qualifies the |
| Podiatrists may choose to give specific medicines, | | | | podiatrist to get a certification in surgery. |
| therapy, or surgery to administer relief from pain. | | | | Employment of podiatrists can evolve even faster, |
| The use of orthotics, custom shoes, casts, and | | | | although some measures are being taken to control |
| straps may also be requested to treat foot and leg | | | | the costs of specialty medicine. Insurance providers |
| abnormalities. Orthotics are corrective shoe inserts, | | | | balance the expense of sending patients to |
| which are quite cool to design. With the use of a | | | | podiatrists in contrast to the professional fee and |
| computer, a plate attached to it will be stepped on | | | | availability of alternative health care practitioners like |
| by the patient to imprint his/her feet marks, which | | | | physicians and physical therapists. Chances are more |
| can show pressure points and weight distribution. | | | | favorable to board-certified podiatrists since most |
| Based on this data, a podiatrist can draft the shoe | | | | manage-care organizations demand this prerequisite. |
| insert needed to fix the defect, or just prescribe a | | | | Newly trained podiatrists will have more probability of |
| different form of cure if it is not that worse. | | | | employment in group medical practices, clinics, and |
| Other radiological tests such as X-rays and laboratory | | | | health networks than having their own foot clinic. |
| tests may be needed to identify foot problems. As | | | | Setting up a practice in a region where podiatric |
| previously mentioned, arthritis and diabetes, along | | | | medicine is being offered to colleges and universities |
| with some heart diseases manifest on the lower | | | | will be harder since podiatrists are concentrated in |
| extremities. In these cases, foot doctors must refer | | | | that area. |
| the patient to another medical specialist. | | | | |